By Emma Renly
For Columbia Gorge News
WHITE SALMON — Swiping, liking and meeting up through dating apps hasn’t worked out for White Salmon resident Kristina Lancaster, who said the two online dates she’s been on were disappointing at best.
“It feels like you’re shopping online for a human,” she said. “It’s not my favorite way to connect with people.”
To challenge the current dating norms, Lancaster, who owns Rumours Hair Studio in White Salmon, is adding event manager to her list of professions. Earlier this year, she started Mountain Mingle Events to create in-person chances for Gorge singles to meet.
Her intentions are clear: “Let’s meet in person and talk to each other. Let’s put the phones down.”
News of Mountain Mingle Events has primarily been through flyers and word of mouth, which Lancaster credits to the tight-knit community here. As a hairdresser, she says she has a bird’s eye view into how others are finding, or not finding, connections.
Many clients ask for referrals, so she thought — why not matchmake?
On April 15, Lancaster co-hosted the first Mountain Mingle Event with Kesomi Helotu Palaki-Muti, a hairdresser at Rumours who specializes in men’s cuts.
Taking place at Soca Wine Shop & Bar in White Salmon, the speed-dating started with a pre-mingle for the 20 singles, then continued to 10 mini-dates, each three minutes long.
To keep the environment low-pressure, hosts handed out conversation starter sheets and asking for numbers, while allowed, could also be facilitated through them. Afterward, those who wanted to continue mingling, could.
The event was inspired by Lancaster’s experience at speed dating at a dive bar in Portland. She didn’t find a romantic match, but the nostalgia of in person conversation with strangers left a lasting impression. It was fun — she wanted to bring it back to the Gorge.
“I genuinely miss the days when people would go to bars and write down phone numbers on napkins and wait to get a message on their answering machine instead of a bunch of DMs on their app,” she said.
Lancaster moved to the Pacific Northwest from Los Angeles in 2020 after her job and housing were lost in the pandemic sweep. She rightfully describes the year as really rough.
First landing in Washougal, Washington, Lancaster worked on an organic homestead with plans to move to Portland and continue hairdressing. But after driving through Hood River, she decided the Gorge should be home.
“I thought, what a lovely place to live and do hair for people instead of another city,” she said. “The mountains were calling.”
Lancaster plans to host more Mountain Mingle Events, including social parties that aren’t just for romantic relationships, but for connections and platonic friendships. She says cost will vary depending on the venue’s size, but plans to host a handful of free events, too.
“The events will be safe places for singles to flirt, network, chit-chat and mingle,” Lancaster said. “This is a very family-driven community, so I think there needs to be a little something special for the singles, especially in a small community. There’s not a lot going on past 10 p.m.”
Coming up, she’s planning a 21 and over event at The Trillium Tavern in Hood River for LGBTQ+ members — date to be determined — and has a golden date night idea in the works for those who are 50 and over.
“Everybody is going to get a turn,” Lancaster said. “Also, I want to meet everybody.”
Those interested can stay up to date on Instagram, @mountainmingle_events.
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